Sheriff's deputies seize illegal fireworks cache in Norwalk

NORWALK - Deputies with the Norwalk Sheriff's Station seized more than 8,000 pounds of illegal fireworks Tuesday morning from a storage locker, an official said Wednesday.

The explosive material was found about 11:30 a.m. inside a locker in the 10900 block of Firestone Boulevard. The 20-by-10-foot locker contained 91 cases of illegal fireworks, including mortars, bottle rockets, Roman candles and a variety of other commercial-grade fireworks, said Lt. Dana Chemnitzer of the Norwalk Sheriff's Station.

The fireworks have a street value of more than $20,000 and were turned over to the Los Angeles County Fire Department for safe disposal, Chemnitzer said.

The suspect and registered owner of the storage unit isn't in custody, but a criminal case against him will be submitted to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for filing consideration, Chemnitzer said.

Deputies began their investigation after receiving a tip about a large amount of illegal fireworks being stored inside the storage locker.

After contacting the storage facility site manager and confirming the unit in question was being rented by the man being investigated, a Sheriff's Transit Services Bureau explosive detection K-9 searched the storage lockers and indicated the suspected locker, Chemnitzer said.

Because deputies believed the locker contained explosives that presented an immediate threat to the community, they entered the locker, she said.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact the watch commander at the Norwalk Sheriff's Station, 562-863-8711. Anonymous tips can be made by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or online at http://lacrimestoppers.org.